


5 Drabbles About Cat's Ascent to Chrestomanci

by Rosencrantz



Category: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynne Jones
Genre: 5 Things, Drabble Sequence, Gen, Wait was that Batman?, Yuletide Madness Drabble Invitational
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 06:37:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5446805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosencrantz/pseuds/Rosencrantz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A chronological series of drabbles about Cat's ascent to Chrestomanci and what he did after getting there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Drabbles About Cat's Ascent to Chrestomanci

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aishuu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aishuu/gifts).



> Thank you to [Dreamiflame](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamiflame) for the beta.
> 
> God as my witness, before html my word processor told me this had exactly 500 words. Me and Ao3 choose to agree to disagree.

Cat questioned the fashion sense in this Series. And hospitality. He and Chrestomanci, chasing a rogue sorcerer, had run into a--

"It's a firefight!" Chrestomanci pushed Cat down urgently. 

One of fanciful men - a teenager like Cat, really - vaulted over their heads. His outfit was clashing greens, yellows, reds. Then he kicked a white-faced man in purple garb. 

Their sorcerer was tied-up 'neath a giant hammer. The capture had become a rescue.

Cat and Chrestomanci raced past a man in a black pointy-eared suit to grab the sorceror.

"Hello again, Bru--" said Chrestomanci jauntily.

"Don't."

And then they went home.

"We knew Klartch's needs and behaviours would change as he grew," said Chrestomanci. He wasn't looking at the windowseat. He was looking at his watch.

"I thought he'd want to meet girl griffins. Not this," Cat regretted screaming. Chrestomanci wouldn't have come if Cat hadn't screamed.

"Well, you can tell him." A vague expression crossed Chrestomanci's face.

"I can't! He'll be heartbroken, he's being kind," said Cat in dismay. "And... I suppose it's sweet."

Chrestomanci grew vaguer still.

Cat sighed. Being a griffin's adoptive parent involved far too many dead sheep deposited in his bedroom in the name of bonding.

"Why don't you like going to the mermaids?" asked Cat. In a year and a day he was to become the new Chrestomanci and it would take nearly that long to get Christopher's affairs sorted before he took over.

Christopher began to put on his vague face. 

Cat, now thirty five, had no time for that nonsense. 

"There isn't some horrible secret about them, is there?"

"Not on their side," said Christopher quietly.

"Then?"

"When you go next, befriend them. It's worth it. Make sure that the protections never lapse, Cat," he said. 

Cat nodded slowly. He'd do as told.

Putting things into words escaped Cat. Dire topic, scarce phrase.

Janet was not Gwendolen. Janet truly cared. She didn't use him. But she frowned in a certain way and his heart stopped.

She asked, when they were older, if he wanted to talk about Gwendolen. He stammered no and they didn't.

Marianne asked about her. Heard it from Julia. 

"She was my sister. She's gone." She got the rest from Julia.

Her world was cut off. He'd never seen Gwendolen again.

He didn't want to say that he wanted to open it the nights he remembered when he'd loved her.

Cats. The whole place was covered in cats, thought Christopher. Throgmorten had left his mark. Cats were conductive to magic, but not to keeping one's newest galaxy embroidered dressing gown fur-free.

A handwave, his chairseat repelled its furry gift into the garbage. 

"Any discoveries, Cat?"

Cat stroked the kitten by the scrying tools. "Yes, our new 9-lifed enchantress is sorry she opened holes between the Series."

"Dragons in a city! Mermaids in the aquarium!" Christopher laughed. "I'll leave her early instruction to you. She'll be _your_ successor."

"Luckily I can find her, _now_." The kitten purred.


End file.
